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Free State is one
of nine provinces in South Africa. It was formed
after the first free elections in 1994 from the Orange Free State,
although its name was not changed to
Free State until June 1995.
Established as a free state by Voortrekker
settlers after the Great Trek from the
British-dominated Cape Province, the British
colonial government recognised its independence in
1854 with the signing of the Orange River
Convention. Although the Orange Free State developed
into a politically and economically successful
republic, it experienced chronic conflict with the
British until it was finally annexed as the Orange
River Colony in 1900 (Anglo-Boer War). The Orange
Free State joined the Union of South Africa in 1910.
Situated in the heart of South Africa, the Free
State is the third largest
province with an area of 129,480km�. It has the
country's second-smallest population of 2.7 million,
made up of 88% Black, 9% White and 3% Coloured.
The first language spoken by most is
Sesotho
(62%),
followed by Afrikaans (14% and
isiXhosa
(10%).
Bloemfontein's
Sesotho name is Mangaung,
meaning "the place where cheetahs dwell." It
gives its name to the annual
Mangaung
African Cultural Festival (MCUFE pronounced
mac-oo-fay).
Situated on flat boundless plains of
central South Africa, the Free State it is known as the "bread basket"
of South Africa - producing over 70% of the
country's grain.
Bloemfontein's high elevation on the southern edge
of the highveld (1,400m above sea level) and bordering the
semi-arid Karoo, means that it
experiences hot summer days (December to
February), with a maximum of 31�C and
afternoon thunderstorms.
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The winters (June
to August) are cold but dry, often with
frosts at night. Snow is rare except in the
surrounding hills.
On the southern border of the Free State
lies the Xhariep District, a region of vast
savannas fed by the Garib (great river), as
the San people called it. The Gariep Dam is
one of the biggest dams in the southern
hemisphere.
Bloemfontein (flower fountain), which is
known as the City of Roses, is the business
and cultural hub of the Free State and
expresses the diverse cultures the province
is renowned for.
In the former Goldfields, the region's
attractions are centred around gold mining
and agriculture. Here you can undertake a
tour of some of the deepest mines in the
world.
The Voortrekkers are in evidence all
over the region, the most impressive being
the Voortrekker Monument in Winburg.
In the northern Free State you can
challenge the white water of the Vaal River
in a canoe, or sail at leisure through the
fertile, willow-lined valley. The 300 km�
Vaal Dam creates the yachting Mecca of the
province, known locally as the "highveld's
inland sea".
The eastern part of the Free State
boasts a plethora of scenic beauty, with the
Drakensberg and Maluti Mountains as
backdrop.
When the
baSotho inhabitants of
this part of the province and the
neighbouring Kingdom of
Lesotho, first came
into contact with the White man in the 19th
century, the
baSotho Wars broke out.
Phuthaditjhaba, where the 'meeting of the
nations' took place, is flanked by the
Golden Gate
Highlands National Park, a major tourist
attraction all the year round.
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